1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system and more particularly to an image processing system that selects one from a plurality of image processing devices, such as a plurality of printers or image scanners, and executes image processing, such as printing or image retrieval.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal computers with universal serial buses (USB) have recently started appearing in the commercial marketplace. The USB enables a personal computer to be connected to a plurality of USB compatible peripheral devices through one or more hubs. A printing system can therefore be designed by connecting a plurality of USB compatible printers to a USB personal computer through a single USB port. A desired one of the plurality of USB compatible printers can be selected and used for printing, depending on the type of printing operation to be performed.
Conventionally, when a plurality of printers are connected to a single USB port through a hub or hubs, a separate port name, such as USB 001, USB 002, USB 003, . . . , is created for each printer. However, it is difficult for the user to distinguish which printer corresponds to which port name. The same problem exists in an image retrieval system that has a plurality of image scanners connected to the same USB port.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an image processing system with a plurality of image processing devices, such as printers or image scanners, connected to a computer, wherein the user can easily distinguish between the different image processing devices and select one device from the plurality of devices.
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides an image processing system, comprising: at least one image processing device; and a computer connected to the at least one image processing device, the computer including: a storage unit storing a connection path information identifying a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; a request unit requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including a distinction name discriminating between the at least one image processing device; a name extracting unit analyzing the information transmitted from each image processing device to extract the distinction name from the information; a registration unit creating, for each image processing device, a port name including a combination of the extracted distinction name and the path information stored in the storage unit, the registering unit registering the created port name for each image processing device; and a display unit displaying the port names for the at least one image processing device based on the contents registered by the registration unit, thereby enabling a user to view the port name of the at least one image processing device to select a desired image processing device among the at least one image processing device, the selected image processing device executing a desired image processing operation.
For example, the request unit may request each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, device ID that includes a model name that discriminates the each image processing device from other image processing devices.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides an image processing system applied to a computer, connected to at least one image processing device, the computer being installed with a basic software for providing: storage means for storing information on a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; display means capable of displaying a port name connectable to each image processing device: list request means for requesting a port management means to list up all of at least one port name managed by the port management means; and data request means for designating one port name among the at least one port name listed up by the display means and for requesting either one of transmission and reception of data via the designated port, the image processing system including the port management means for managing at least one port for the at least one image processing device, the port management means including: information request means for requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including distinction name discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device; character string creating means for creating a character string discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device based on the information transmitted from each image processing device; port name creating means for creating, for each image processing device, a port name that includes the created character string; and a port name list up means for controlling the display means to list up the port name for the at least one image processing device in response to the request by the list request means provided by the basic software.
The data request means may have a function to transmit print data, created by an application program or the like, via a user""s designated port to a corresponding external printer. Or, the data request means may have another function to transfer image data, that is received via the user""s designated port from a corresponding external image scanner, to an application program or the like.
The character string creating means may create a character string that indicates one path information stored in the storage means provided by the basic software. When a user selects an image processing device, desired to be used, while viewing the listed-up port names, the image processing device will be automatically selected. As long as the physical connection between each image processing device and the computer is not changed, the path information is not changed. Accordingly, the user can easily select an image processing device that is located at a certain position.
The character string creating means may include extracting means for creating the character string by extracting the distinction name from the information that is transmitted from each image processing device in response to the request. Distinction name, such as a model name of a printer or an image scanner, may be extracted from the received information. A character string, including the image processing device model name, is then created.
The computer may be provided with a universal serial bus, each image processing device being connected to the universal serial bus via a hub. USB compatible image processing devices are designed to transmit, in response to a request, a character string (device ID) that is defined according to a predetermined format as distinction information to discriminate between the respective image processing devices. The extracting means can therefore easily extract the distinction name from the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a data recording medium recording a program so as to be readable by a computer connectable to at least one image processing device, the program comprising: a program requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including a distinction name discriminating between the at least one image processing device; a program analyzing the information transmitted from each image processing device to extract the distinction name from the information; and a program creating, for each image processing device, a port name including a combination of the extracted distinction name and path information identifying a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer, the creating program registering the created port name for each image processing device.
According to still another aspect, the present invention provides a data recording medium recording a program so as to be readable by a computer connectable to at least one image processing devices, the computer being installed with a basic software for providing: storage means for storing information on a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; display means capable of displaying a port name connectable to each image processing device; list request means for requesting port management means to list up all of at least one port name managed by the port management means; and data request means for designating one port name among the at least one port name listed up by the display means and for requesting either one of transmission and reception of data via the designated port, the program providing the port management means for managing at least one port for the at least one image processing device, the program including: a program requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including distinction name discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device; a program creating a character string discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device based on the information transmitted from each image processing device; a program creating, for each image processing device, a port name that includes the created character string; and a program controlling the display means to list up the at least one port name for the at least one image processing device in response to the request by the list request means provided by the basic software.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides an image processing system, comprising: a plurality of image processing devices; and a computer connected to the plurality of image processing devices, the computer including: a storage unit storing a connection path information identifying a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; a request unit requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including a distinction name discriminating between the plurality of image processing devices; a name extracting unit analyzing the information transmitted from each image processing device to extract the distinction name from the information; a registration unit creating, for each image processing device, a port name including a combination of the extracted distinction name and the path information stored in the storage unit, the registering unit registering the created port names for the plurality of image processing devices; and a display unit displaying the port names for the plurality of image processing devices based on the contents registered by the registration unit, thereby enabling a user to view the port names of the plurality of image processing devices to select a desired image processing device among the plurality of image processing devices, the selected image processing device executed a desired image processing operation.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides an image processing system applied to a computer, connected to a plurality of image processing devices, the computer being installed with a basic software for providing: storage means for storing information on a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; display means capable of displaying a port name connectable to each image processing device; list request means for requesting a port management means to list up all of a plurality of port names managed by the port management means; and data request means for designating one port name among the plurality of port names listed up by the display means and for requesting either one of transmission and reception of data via the designated port, the image processing system including the port management means for managing a plurality of ports for the plurality of image processing devices, the port management means including: information request means for requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including distinction name discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device; character string creating means for creating a character string discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device based on the information transmitted from each image processing device; port name creating means for creating, for each image processing device, a port name that includes the created character string; and a port name list up means for controlling the display means to list up the port names for the plurality of image processing devices in response to the request by the list request means provided by the basic software.
According to another aspect, the present invention provides a data recording medium recording a program so as to be readable by a computer connectable to a plurality of image processing devices, the program comprising: a program requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including a distinction name discriminating between the plurality of image processing devices; a program analyzing the information transmitted from each image processing device to extract the distinction name from the information; and a program creating, for each image processing device, a port name including a combination of the extracted distinction name and path information identifying a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer, the creating program registering the created port names for the plurality of image processing devices.
According to still another aspect, the present invention provide a data recording medium recording a program so as to be readable by a computer connectable to a plurality of image processing devices, the computer being installed with a basic software for providing: storage means for storing information on a path, along which each image processing device is connected to the computer; display means capable of displaying a port name connectable to each image processing device: list request means for requesting port management means to list up all of a plurality of port names managed by the port management means; and data request means for designating one port name among the plurality of port names listed up by the display means and for requesting either one of transmission and reception of data via the designated port, the program providing the port management means for managing a plurality of ports for the plurality of image processing devices, the program including: a program requesting each image processing device to transmit, to the computer, information including distinction name discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device; a program creating a character string discriminating the each image processing device from other image processing device based on the information transmitted from each image processing device; a program creating, for each image processing device, a port name that includes the created character string; and a program controlling the display means to list up the port names for the plurality of image processing devices in response to the request by the list request means provided by the basic software.